Behind the I-Plan
The name “U-Matter Community College” symbolizes the important need that each and every individual has to feel a sense of belonging and mattering. A sense of belonging is the positive feeling one has when he or she feels as though they are part of something. It also includes an understanding of what is expected. When students make the transition to college, they may initially feel like an outsider. Programs and services that help students immediately begin to feel a sense of belonging to the campus community can make a positive impact on whether or not students decide to persist. Related to belonging is one’s need to feel that one matters. Mattering includes an individual’s desire to be noticed and acknowledged when in the presence of others and missed when gone and knowing that others are personally interested in us and are depending on us. Mattering refers to one’s belief, right or wrong, that he or she matters to someone else and is appreciated. Even with our differences, we are connected by the need to matter and the need to belong. Creating environments that show all students that they matter will create greater student involvement. This involvement will lead to students persisting to graduation.
The U-Matter CC website is set up so that a viewer can click on the main tabs (Home, About U-Matter, Academics, Student Services, and Student Life) to get a general overview of the information provided in that area of the website. After clicking on the main tab, the viewer should click on the drop down tabs for more information in each specific category. Two sub-tabs, New Student Orientation and First-Year Programs and Office of Multicultural Affairs have additional tabs to the right that further explain specific programs called First Year Seminar and African American Male Initiative.
The macros of U-Matter Community College are academics, student services, and student life. You will read about the focus on the liberal arts core and how that enhances students' abilities to realize the intended learning outcomes. All three macros focus on the holistic development of the students.
Faculty, student affairs staff, and peer leaders work collaboratively to help students learn, develop, and achieve the intended learning outcomes in curricular and co-curricular settings. Students establish membership in the campus community by becoming academically and socially integrated. And student retention is significantly tied to student involvement.
Students need the appropriate amount of challenge and support to succeed in college. They find this challenge and support in student services at U-Matter Community College, which includes new student orientation and first year programs, academic advising, career services, the Office of Accessibility, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and Academic Support Services. These student services are connected to increases in student retention and engagement. Academic advising is required prior to the start of the first semester and keeps students stimulated, challenged, and progressing toward a meaningful goal.
My two micros are First-Year Seminars (FYS) and the African American Male Initiative (AAMI), which is a program designed to help African American males persist in college. FYS is the first integration seminar (I-Seminar) that is a integral part of the student experience at U-Matter CC. Each semester students are enrolled in an I-Seminar. These seminars help students make connections across the curriculum. The FYS seminar focuses on helping students successfully make the transition to college and introduces students to campus resources. First-year seminars promote persistence and retention and research indicates that first-year seminars benefit all types of students.
The U-Matter CC website is set up so that a viewer can click on the main tabs (Home, About U-Matter, Academics, Student Services, and Student Life) to get a general overview of the information provided in that area of the website. After clicking on the main tab, the viewer should click on the drop down tabs for more information in each specific category. Two sub-tabs, New Student Orientation and First-Year Programs and Office of Multicultural Affairs have additional tabs to the right that further explain specific programs called First Year Seminar and African American Male Initiative.
The macros of U-Matter Community College are academics, student services, and student life. You will read about the focus on the liberal arts core and how that enhances students' abilities to realize the intended learning outcomes. All three macros focus on the holistic development of the students.
Faculty, student affairs staff, and peer leaders work collaboratively to help students learn, develop, and achieve the intended learning outcomes in curricular and co-curricular settings. Students establish membership in the campus community by becoming academically and socially integrated. And student retention is significantly tied to student involvement.
Students need the appropriate amount of challenge and support to succeed in college. They find this challenge and support in student services at U-Matter Community College, which includes new student orientation and first year programs, academic advising, career services, the Office of Accessibility, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and Academic Support Services. These student services are connected to increases in student retention and engagement. Academic advising is required prior to the start of the first semester and keeps students stimulated, challenged, and progressing toward a meaningful goal.
My two micros are First-Year Seminars (FYS) and the African American Male Initiative (AAMI), which is a program designed to help African American males persist in college. FYS is the first integration seminar (I-Seminar) that is a integral part of the student experience at U-Matter CC. Each semester students are enrolled in an I-Seminar. These seminars help students make connections across the curriculum. The FYS seminar focuses on helping students successfully make the transition to college and introduces students to campus resources. First-year seminars promote persistence and retention and research indicates that first-year seminars benefit all types of students.